Parlor base-ball game



(No Model.)

J. S. AYDELOTT.

PARLOR BASE BALL GAME.

No. 336,076. 7' Patent-ed Feb. 16, 1886.

WITNESSES @M (/2? V N4 PETERS. Pholo-Lllhognpher. wamm mn. D. c..

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB S. AYDELOTT, OF XENIA, INDIANA.

PARLOR BASE-BALL GAME.

.JPECIPICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,076, dated February 16, 1886. Application filed November 21, 1884. Serial No. 149,498. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB S. AYDELoTr, of Xenia, in the county of Miami and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Parlor Base-Ball Games, of which the following is a fall, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the board or table. Fig. 2 represents a hand of cards.

The object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus by means of which base-ball can be played with cards, and in which the terms used in base-ball playing will be em ployed with their ordinary meaning.

The invention relates to a parlor base-ball game apparatus, consisting of a board or table having a base-ball ground marked thereon, and a number of cards, each bearing one or more of the technical phrases used in base-ball playing, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

A represents a board or table, upon which is formed a base-ball ground, B.

0 represents cards, upon each of which is printed one or more of the phrases used in base-ball playing, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The cards 0 may be of one or more styles, and a hundred and fifty (more or less) in number.

In playing the game the cards (J are shuffled, five cards are dealt to each side, and the rest of the pack is laid upon the board A, to be drawn from as may be required while playing the game. A card is drawn from the pack after each play, so that each side will always have five cards from which to select a playingcard, whether the said side be at the bat or in the field. lVhen the cards have been dealt, it is decided by consent, or in the way usually employed in baseball playing, which side shall go to the bat, the other side taking the field, beginning the play, and keeping the field until it has put out three men. Then the second side takes the bat, and keeps it until three of its men have been put out by the first side. Should the field side have among its five cards one which disposes of the batter, either by fly or foul out, it plays that card, which makes one out. Then the side at the bat puts another man at bat, as would be done in baseball playing, and also has the next play. If, for instance, it has the card marked Three-base hit, it plays that and places a man on third base. Then the field side plays. Suppose, for instance, it holds the card marked Fly out to left field and assists to home plate, two out, it plays that and retires the bat side without scoring. It is presumed in this case the man holds third base until the fly has been caught, attempts to score, and is thrown out. The player must use his own judgment as to such plays, and decide them as they would be played in a real game of base-ball. Suppose, on the other hand, when the batter made a three-base hit the fielder could play nothing but a strike, ball, or foul, then, if the batting side held one-base hit, it plays that, and the man on the third base scores, leaving a man on first base and only one man out. The field side cannot play to put out the batter again, and if the side at bat holds a card that will advance his base-runneras one, two, three, orfour base hit, wild throw, wild pitch, passed ball," fumbled grounder, muffled flyor anything to its own advantage, it plays that, always playing to win. If it plays Wild throw to second by catcher, runner takes third, and the field side holds the card Fly out to pitcher, and plays it, this makes two out and a man on third. Suppose, now, the batting side cannot play to score the man on third, but plays a foul or a ball, then the field side plays the card Hit to left field and assist at home, out at home. This retires the batting side, three men having been put out, and the fielding side takes the bat.

In playing the game the field and batting sides play against the interest of each other every time their cards will admit of their d0- ing so. There are times when the side in the field cannot play anything but a base-hit. This has been partly provided for by every one-base hit card bearing also the word .Strike or Ball, so that the player may use the card to his best advantage, as he can play ball or strike, instead of giving the batting side the benefit of the base-hit.

All cards bearing Ball or Strike can be used by the player in the manner that will benefit him most. If his side is at the bat, as a ball against his opponent. If his side is in the field, as a strike, and so on. If in any inning the field side plays three strikes, the nian then at the bat is out. If the side at the bat has six or seven balls in its inning at bat, the League or American rules being used, then the man at the bat takes first base, and each succeeding man forced advances a base, as in the real game. This case is played in this way, because it is not probable that three strikes or seven balls can be playedon any one batter, so in playing as above described three strikes and base on balls are introduced, as in the real game. If at any time either side holds five cards, neither of which can be played with sense, the position of the men on the other side not permitting asensible play, the player must draw from the pack until he obtains a card that can be properly played. after which he must not draw a card after each play until his cards have been reduced to four, when he again draws in the usual manner.

To illustrate what is meant by a playwithout sense, suppose the player for the field side holds the cards Assist from catcher to second and out, Caught napping at first by pitcher, Hit to second and-assist to third, out at third, Hit to third and out at home, and Thrown out at third by catcher, and the player for the batting side has no men on bases, the above-mentioned cards cannot be played with sense, as the catcher cannot make assists to bases and out unless there is a man there to be put out, and so with the other cards. For this reason the player has the right to draw from the pack in such cases.

J As there are but four bases/"our men are all that are necessary for each side to have to score the game and keep men at the proper places.

If desired, eighteen names can be selected and a record kept, the same as if a real game of base-ball were being played.

The possible scores in nine innings are 0 to 0 up to 20 to 12. V

If the game is a tie at the end of the ninth inning, enough eXtra innings may be played to give one side the lead in the score, both sides having played the same number of innings.

The board, it will be seen, forms an important part of the apparatus, as in operation the player-cards are placed thereon at the proper points, according as they make a one, two, or three base hit, and are transferred from time to time as they advance toward the home-base or are removed as put out from the board. Thus I have a visible representation of the progress of the game, so that the board will at all times show the position-of those of the batting-nine who are in the field.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A parlor base-ball gameapparatus con sisting of a board or table provided with the representation of a base-ball ground, and a number .of cards comprising a plurality of series, one of which represents the several plays of which the batter is capable, and another the technical phrases representing the disposition that may be made of the batter,

substantially as set forth.

2. A base-ball game apparatus conrprisinga game-board having marked thereon the representation of a baseball field, such representation operating to denote the positions of the various players, a number of cards having words or characters whereby to represent the several plays which may be made, and anum-v her of sets of cards which decide the fate of the players, said cards,when placed at proper points on the board, also operating to represent the players, substantially as set forth.

JACOB S. AYDELOTT.

Witnesses:

Autos 1. TILMAN, ABE L. LAROSHE. 

